Another Christmas is almost here and it is time to decorate the tree, light the Menorah or the Kinara. I can almost taste the decorated sugar cookies and hear the holiday music favorites playing on a low volume serenading the scene. Then I remember the long lines at stores, rude shoppers, paper cuts from wrapping paper, the arduous task of bringing the decorations out of that black hole of an attic or basement. O! Please do not forget the inevitable family arguments. Good or bad, these are all the traditions that make the holiday season so memorable and family moments so loveable. Penta decided to share some of our personal favorite holiday traditions with you. Enjoy!
“We have a tradition in my family. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, while many people are braving the long lines of Black Friday, my father and I lug the artificial Christmas tree up from the basement. We assemble the tree and then settle in for a long day involving the ceremonial shaping of the branches. For anyone who has ever tried to make an artificial tree look good, I'm sure you can commiserate with me. It takes us hours and just about the time when we can barely feel our fingers, in walks my mother. She stands from a distance, looks at the tree and says "Are you guys kidding? Can't you see the big hole in the middle of the tree? You have to step back and look at it from all angles." And the ceremonial shaping of the branches continues for several more hours.
As if the ceremonial shaping of the branches isn't tradition enough, we then move on to decorating the tree. When my brothers and I were young, my mother took beading classes and made these beautiful bells and angels. The ornaments are delicate and when we were little, we were instructed not to touch them – they were fondly referred to as the sacred beaded ornaments. Still, to this day, while my mother wants help to decorate the Christmas tree we are still not permitted to place the sacred beaded ornaments on the tree. We're also not really allowed to place any ornaments on the tree and we may not be accurate with our spacing. After hours and days of work, the tree finally becomes a complete work of art. Thank goodness the days of tinsel are finished because placing tinsel strand by strand used to add weeks to the process.
As crazy as they are, the traditions are fun and I wouldn't have it any other way!”
---Michele Verdino
Ever have the thought, “Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” This is one of those moments.
The night of Thanksgiving, a mall near my parents’ house has an annual tree lighting. Although it does not hold a candle to the Rockefeller tree lighting, it is a cheesy fun night with family and a chance to reunite with friends. Everyone wears Styrofoam antlers, drinks hot cider, and sings Christmas carols. For me, it is the official start of Christmas and I am happy to participate in such a lame celebration.
Another Holiday tradition that stands out in my mind is cooking the Christmas feast. My mother and I love to cook but professional chefs, we are not. Every year we experiment with different recipes, some delicious and some disastrous, but they are always fun to create. After dinner my family and friends typically sit around a campfire, roast marshmallows, drink wine and laugh about past Christmases. The night ends with the reading of “The Night Before Christmas” and then the wait for Santa begins. No matter how old I get I will always look forward to Santa’s gifts on Christmas morning.
---Emily Ohnstad
Happy Holidays From Penta—Your Event Planning Solution!
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